MOTEGI:

Title-chasing Marc Marquez on Saturday qualified third on the grid for the Japan MotoGP sprint and grand prix, with Francesco Bagnaia claiming pole position.

Marquez is on the verge of his seventh world championship crown and can seal the deal if he finishes the weekend at Motegi with three more points than his brother and closest rival Alex Marquez.

Alex Marquez will start from eighth on the grid after being forced to come through the first qualifying session for the first time this season.

Bagnaia, who won both the sprint and the grand prix in Japan last year, took pole in a track-record time of 1min 42.911sec in cool, dry conditions.

Honda's Joan Mir was second, 0.092sec behind, with Marc Marquez 0.132sec off the fellow Ducati of Bagnaia.

"Nobody said that it would be easy

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